Final Fantasy IX in: Going Under
by Darkmaha
Summary: This is an offline story about life aftermath. Beatrix wanders away from Alexandria and becomes a huge part of the story.


Title: Final Fantasy IX: Going Under  
Author: Darkmaha a.k.a. Richard W. Soloyna  
Fandom: Final Fantasy IX (With a little bit of appearances by characters from Final Fantasy Tactics.  
Character(s): Final Fantasy IX Major and Minor cast of live characters (Alive at ending of game), and Delita, Queen Ovelia, Ramza, Agrias. (FF:Tactics)  
Rating: T  
Genre: Angst  
Summary: Alexandria must keep up its role as heart to Gaia

-----------------------------------------------------  
Prologue

_Alexandria's Royal Beating_

-----------------------------------------------------

In Alexandrian Castle, Thronal Balcony, 8:00pm...

All was very much like when Garnet left her castle the first time. The only twist was, she was being forced to go this time... The actors on this ship were very different from Tantelus, they even managed to beat Vivi's black magic attacks.

"Dagger!" Yelled Zidane as she was taken away on the Violet Victoria Airship. He tried to jump and grab on, not realizing it had begun takeoff. He knew this was going to turn out like last time, but General Beatrix and Captain Steiner never fail to protect their queen so they launched the chain cannons at the airship. It flew out of balance as it was struck. Beatrix and Steiner jumped aboard and helped up Garnet's love. Up on deck were three facing them. One, a Geomancer, another a Time Mage, and the third was a Chemist.

"Odd bunch of you, isn't it." said Beatrix, holding her shining "Save the Queen" at them, glaring under the pale and red moons. "No matter," she said as she moved her hair out of her left eye to see them better. The Geomancer advanced first, she called out a whip from within the wooden planks. It struck the general as hard as bamboo. She shouted and became infuriated. She thought of using her climhazzard technique but then just decided to do an aerial strike. Rising to the air, she prepared a falcon dive to the young Geomancer who became frightened. "Save the Queen" easilly plunged into the enemy's body, almost more swiftly than a knife through butter. The Geomancer shrieked in agony as blood poured from her body. The chemist took out a pistol and shot at Beatrix to hold her off for a second attack. she quickly healed the Geomancer's wounds so she may fight again.

"I don't think so." Zidane slashed quickly through the chemist's throat, then her back. She fell to the floor, and shrivelled up. This was wierd, for humans didn't normally do that. The thief didnt't care though, he readied up for another take down but was struck to the floor by the Geomancer's elemental plant binding.

"Didn't see that coming blondie, did you!" She advanced to him and rapidly kicked him in the stomach several times before she went on to fight the others. Zidane began to ache. Adelbert got angry and ran to slice her down, but she conjured up her own sword made up of very strong earthly metals combined with plants. Their swords sparked as they moved closer to one another, scraping the weapons together violently. Gi..give up! You can't win, you stupid soldier!" She forced Steiner to the floor. He was now at the mercy of her blade, yet he showed no fear. "Say hello to my RoseBlade, Rusty!" The sword was risen, the blow to Steiner was about to commence, but something stopped her, caught her eye. she had unknowingly been set on fire, but by whom? She looked around to see a tiny, steepled-hatted mage. It was Vivi, holding his most powerful staff to her in anger.

"METEOR!" Vivi's conjure called forth a massive flaming rock as he jumped from the balcony to the ship's stage. Meteor was small, larger than the Geomancer's body and half the stages size though, of course. The ship almost but incinerated after that one blast. Geomancer was most likely destroyed beneath the molten rock, her partner, the Time Mage as well. Zidane and Steiner went into the hold behind the stage to locate the Queen, while Beatrix grabbed Vivi and jumped back to the balcony.

"Hold the ship up knights of Pluto, we don't want any building destroyed again or you will pay for the repairs yourselves!" Those were the only encouraging words Beatrix could say to her band of knights that was closely remote to nice. They kept a firm grip on the chains though, and she was impressed. Moments later, Steiner, Zidane, and Garnet rose from the cabin below and jumped back to the haven of Alexandrian marble. "Knights of Pluto, release the airship!" Her word was quickly obeyed, the ship rose to leave in a hurry, but to Beatrix, it wasn't quick enough, so she ordered a set of three Bomb monsters to help them off Alexandrian borders, or even better, Gaia itself. "Fire!" The ship was immediately blown from the kingdom and thrown far down off the side of the Mist Continent. The group reconvened up on the balcony where they witnessed the rising smoke off the cliff's side.

The entire city scurried away and locked themselves up into their homes. Beatrix and Steiner made sure that each person on the balcony had passed them to go inside. But Garnet stood at the marble railing. She was crying softly, and her body was shaking. Zidane tried to approach her to see what was wrong but the knights shut him in, as if forcing him away from her.

"Your... Majesty, what is it?" Asked Steiner, his hand on the Queen's shoulder. Beatrix grabbed his enormous steel-covered arm and removed it from Garnet's appendage. She glared at Steiner as if saying to go away. So he did just that. He stood at his normal position, not making a sound on his way except for the clanking of his armor.

Beatrix grabbed the Queen's arm and turned her so that they were eye-to-eye. Garnet's tear-soaked eyes were red and puffy now, Beatrix handed her a handkerchief. "Your Highness, why do tears fall from your eyes?"

"They took my pendant..."

-----------------------------------------------------  
Chapter 1

_Sorrow of the Save The Queen_

-----------------------------------------------------

It had been forty-three hours now, and the pendant was still gone. Queen Garnet had became ill when she realized that her only connection to her parents, both real and not, was gone. She went to the Castle's main chamber to rest, accompanied by Zidane and Vivi. Beatrix was in her quarters, standing over her bed, peering down at her sword that lay there. _I was no use this evening,_ She thought. _What good am I if I cannot even rescue a simple item?_ Searching around her room, she gathered the little treasures she had. She was to be leaving, for the Queen had no use for her anymore, right? She took a formal, Black ball gown from the wardrobe and went behind the changing area. Her old clothes, her armor were not to be needed any longer. She made a neat pile of her old outfit on the bed and looked around to see what she forgot. _Oh yes!_ She went to the mirror and turned her back to it. Looking over her shoulder, she tied the back of her corsette. Nobody should know who she was if she was to leave. She'd start over. General Beatrix of Alexandria would cease to exist forever. Should she change her name? It was a fine idea for one who was trying to escape from her world. Back over to the bed, she placed one hand on the now cold metal of her fine blade.

"You served me well in the past... I shall never forget you my darling Save The Queen." A knock at her door made her jump a mile. "Enter." She said it with masked enthusiasm. Vivi walked through the door, closing it slowly behind him. "Lord Vivi, what brings you to my chambers at this time of the night?" Beatrix then moved herself over to a table on the other side of her room. Grabbing a pair of black gloves to match her formal wear, she slid them on with graceful ease.

"I just wanted to thank you for pulling me off the airship before you blew it out of the sky. I am small, so I wouldn't have made it, if it hadn't been for you."

She smiled and advanced to him, kneeling down, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am sure you would have done the same for me if I ever needed the help." Again, she pondered on what she had forgotten. Of course, it was her high-heeled boots she would wear beneath the gown. As Vivi was about to ask why she was in another outfit, she cut him off. "I am leaving... Please do not tell Steiner, nor another soul. This will remain beneath us the location I am heading. You know the Forgotten Continent well, right? That is where I am off to."

"But that is Kuja's old-"

"Precisely. But now he is dead, I shall claim it for myself without anyone else's knowledge." _Nobody shall ever search for me there._ As much as it pained her with goodbyes, she saluted to Vivi for the last time. He left quietly, and Beatrix immediately returned to preparing to leave when another knock was heard. "Enter." A female Alexandrian Knight was the visitor. She was a very thin soldier and looked as if she gorged herself on whatever she could find. "Yes, what is it?"

"Her Majesty would like a word General. She asked me to grab you." Beatrix sighed, followed her, annoyed. The halls were beautiful. She'd not be seeing them ever again after this night. Not one slice of Alexandrian marble would touch her ever again. Nothing would stop her, except the Queen, but she had not an idea of the General's plans. The thronal room looked the same as it usually did. The Queen sat on her throne, Lord Vivi conversed with Eiko near the doorway. Zidane stood beside the Queen, talking her ear off. Steiner, stood, foolishly, his posture this day was despicable. She halted by him and let the knight keep going. Turning to Steiner, she slapped him. _Tisk tisk..._ As if he knew what her slap meant, he stood upright and stared blankly. Satisfied, Beatrix returned to her destination, the Throne. She dropped to one knee.

"You ordered my presence, Your Majesty?" _Please speed up, I yearn to leave..._ Garnet frowned at her kneeling. With a wave of the hand, she asked her to rise, for she felt extremely uncomfortable having Beatrix treated less than her own personal friend. Then, she noticed that the General was clad all in black, and not in her uniform.

"General, I would like you to head over to Burmecia, the people there are in need of some of my personell to aid them. I know your ties with them are knotted, but if you go and help them out, I am sure that their feelings to you will change. I am desperately sorry, but you're the only one I can trust to run something like this." Then she thought about bringing up the attire situation. "May I ask what the occasion for formal attire is this evening?" Beatrix blushed and said nothing for several moments. Garnet was getting upset the a friend of hers was simply not happy. She tried to open Beatrix up like a dictionary so that she may help. "General, if it is something wrong, tell me so."

_There is nothing you could do to mend the hole in my body._ "Nothing is wrong, Your Majesty. I will take on this mission you have requested." She nodded and left the throne room. Halfway down the hallway, going back to her quarters, she burst out crying. She dropped to the floor and cupped her hands over her face. Someone had heard her through the doors on the second-level balcony. It was Regent Cid, coming downstairs from seeing Freya in the Library. He spotted her and sped over to her. "Please, just go, I will be fine. I do not wish any help from anyone." She rose from the floor, wiping off her tears, and continued back to her room. Cid was now curious of her reaction. _How am I going to get to the Desert Palace!_ She had dreamed of the idea for quite some time, yet neglected to remember a mode of transportation. _The Red Rose... I'll take that. It is the fastest, most elegant warship. Besides, Garnet has the Invincible, The hilde Garde III, and the Sunny Carbuncle. She doesn't need the Red Rose._ Grabbing her sword one last time, she swung it violently in the air. "I truly will miss you the most..." Then she returned it to the bed and walked out her door. Passing numerous doors on her way to the Airship docks, she could see in most of them, for they were open. She haulted after hearing heavy foot sounds. _It's just that idiot, Steiner._ But as it came closer, she heard no clanking of armor, just the heavy foot sounds. She turned around, nobody was there. She looked around that area, behind a pillar was a pushed out pink clothing material. She approached it to reveal Quina. "Master/ess Quina, why are you following me?" Quina ran off before Beatrix could get another word out though. _What an odd creature that is._ At the dock it was noisy with all the voices chattering like a mice colony in the warmest weather. Knights turned to face her and saluted as she walked by them. She finally came upon the stairs that went to the deck of the Red Rose. A Rose Guard stepped out of her way and saluted. Inside the ship, at the main wheel, the ship pilot was laughing. "Is there something the matter, Douglas?" He immediately stopped laughing and asked her what she was doing there. She sat in the Queen's old Ship-throne. "We're going to the Desert Palace, it's on the Outer Continent."

"The outer Continent? I cannot go there!" He ran off the Airship, fleeing. Most of the crew went along with him. She sighed, then went to sit in the big red Pilot seat. The ship was ready now, her loyal knights untied the ship from his hold. The Ship rose into the air and sailed through the sky.

"Here comes my new start."


End file.
